Lives in Cricket No 43 - John Jackson

45 At the Height of His Powers The All-England Eleven 1861. Standing (l to r): E.Willsher, H.H.Stephenson, G.Parr, ?, T.Hayward, G.F.Tarrant, G.Anderson, R.C.Tinley, J.Jackson. On ground: A.Clarke, R.P.Carpenter [Roger Mann Collection] England had been dismissed for 98, Jackson had a burst of 19 overs to take six for 18 as Kent made 148 in their second innings. England, needing 185 to win, could only total 130. John Jackson took part in 19 of the All-England Eleven matches in 1861. He batted 30 times, being not out in four innings, and he scored 209 runs at an average of 8.03. He bowled more than 550 recorded overs (in some cases the exact analyses have been lost in the mists of time), and he took 121 wickets, fifteen wickets in a match three times. There were some prodigious bowling feats, his best return being eighteen wickets for 65 runs in an early season match against XXII Irishmen on 20, 21 and 22 May. He bowled 77.3 overs in this match. In the previous game, when the AEE played at the Coburg Gardens, Dublin on 16, 17 and 18 May, a match graced by the presence of the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Jackson had taken seventeen wickets, bowling thirteen of them. This match was against XXII Officers of Ireland, one of whom, a Captain Hunter, was listed as ‘absent’ in the second innings. No reason of absence is given. Both these games were won by the AEE by eight wickets. Returning to England, the AEE were scheduled to begin their first match at Bath against the Lansdown Club on 23 May, the day after their final game in Dublin had finished. There was, you can see, no rest period for the, no doubt, weary cricketers. Understandably the AEE were dismissed for 75 in their first innings and went on to lose to the local XXII by thirteen wickets. Jackson took seven wickets in the match. Although the exact analysis is not given, but he is known to have bowled E.M.Grace for 0 in his second innings.